H5N1 In Scotland No Threat To Human Health Or Consumers, National Farmers' Union

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Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Veterinary;  Nutrition / Diet;  Public Health
Article Date: 06 Apr 2006 - 16:00 PDT

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The National Farmers' Union of the UK has stressed that confirmation of H5N1 in Scotland has no implications for human health or consumers. The Union added that this is a significant development from a poultry health aspect.

President of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), Peter Kendall, said although the news is unwelcome, it was certainly not an unexpected development.

He added that all of the contingency plans that they have for Avian Influenza (AI) have been drawn up on the basis that the highly pathogenic H5N1strain would reach the UK sooner or later, so the NFU is well prepared and fully support the action that the Scottish Executive and the Chief Veterinary Officer are taking. The NFU have also been working with Defra for the past four years to develop contingency plans for exactly this type of scenario.

Peter Kendall said

"It is important to keep things in perspective. This is a single case of the H5N1 strain of AI in an individual bird. It does obviously concern us from a poultry health point of view that the disease has reached the UK, but there are no implications for public health or consumers. In fact the British consumer has show commendable common sense since AI entered Europe last year and I would encourage them to continue to support the British Poultry Industry."

"Given the clear advice from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that poultry and eggs, properly cooked, are safe to eat we see no reason why sales of eggs or poultry meat should be affected. We are in close touch, and are supporting, our colleagues in NFU Scotland in monitoring the situation. Further advice and information will be issued to our members through the NFU's website www.nfuonline.com as the situation develops."

National Farmers' Union Website

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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